Did you know that some animals hibernate in summer?* That wouldn’t suit us at Sunday Assembly London. While our assemblies take a break in August, we’re planning an array of weekend events to keep us connected.
Picnic lunches and origami: Sunday 2nd & 16th August, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Holborn
Outdoor swimming: Saturday 22nd August @ 2pm, Sea Lanes in Canary Wharf
Ice cream crawl (like a pub crawl but with ice cream shops): Sunday 23rd August @ 2pm, Leicester Square Tube station, Exit 1
One-off choir: first week of September
And more, subject to interest
Sir David Attenborough’s Our Story at the Natural History Museum (ends 30th August): suggested Sunday 16th August
M. C. Escher exhibition at Somerset House (ends 6th September)
Titanique the Musical (ends 30th September): suggested Wednesday 26th August @ 7:30pm
If you want to find out more about our not-just-assembly events, or confirm your interest for any of them, email Tanya at community@sundayassembly.com. Or, as with our assemblies, just turn up!
*Aestivation? We don’t know the meaning of the word…
Article Club is where the Sunday Assembly London community read a diverse range of articles, share them with like-minded people and deal with our anxiety that we aren’t reading books.
We’ve had over 75 meetings and it’s never too late to join! Just like at our assemblies, we love welcoming new members and their unique opinions.
How Article Club works
1. We meet every 1-2 months in the National Theatre building in Central London by the river. We go for the round seats in the Lyttelton Theatre bar on the first floor.
2. We vote in advance and pick two articles from a short list to read before we meet. Usually one relates to politics/current affairs and the other to history, culture or science.
3. We talk about each one for around half an hour. The beauty of Article Club is that we can think more deeply about the broader themes of a topic, and how well the article gets to grips with them.
4. We each give a score out of 10 for the articles that have been discussed.
5. We set the date for the next Article Club and sometimes adjourn to the pub.
We also have Article Club meetings coming up on:
Thursday 8th October
To meet more of the Sunday Assembly London community while learning about a new or familiar topic, you’re always welcome at our Sunday Assemblies too!
When the weather is good we eat outside and ask people to bring blankets and food to share. On colder days, we head for a local restaurant, café or pub that serves food. (We’ll confirm which one during the assembly.)
Keep an eye on the weather and event listing in case we need to change venue. And if you have any portable games (card or board games that are quick to play), bring them too. Newcomers are very welcome.
Who says January has to be ‘that sad month after December’? Join Sunday Assembly London and Quantum Leopard on 22nd January for an evening of shared laughter, well-crafted comedy and birthday joy!
January is the month Sunday Assembly London started – with entertaining, informative, non-religious get-togethers co-hosted by two comedians. What better way to celebrate than by lining up two fabulous comedians to entertain you?
One of those performers, and our host for the evening, is James Ross, whose Quantum Leopard comedy nights have a ten-year record of showcasing stand-up that doesn’t punch down. James will bring you his unique take on Guess Who? which he describes as ‘a very silly party show’.
Thom Tuck, our other performer, is hailed as ‘erudite, energetic and overtly bendy’. You’ll be treated to a preview of his forthcoming show about adorable animals.
As experienced stand-ups bringing you fresh material, James and Thom will make sure that Laugh Your Assembly Off! lives up to its name, and leave you in no doubt about why the Quantum Leopard format has won six Chortle Awards.
How much will it cost you to take in that incredible talent? Just £15, or £5 if you’re on a low income or precariously employed.
When: Thursday 22nd January from 7:30pm to 10pm (doors open at 7:30pm; show starts at 8pm)
Where: COLAB Tower, 22 Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HB
The sooner you get your ticket, the sooner you can look forward to laughing in the face of winter!
Every December, it’s our privilege to host Yule Rock and spread the combined joy of community and festive singing. Yule Rock also raises vital funds for our small volunteer-led charity. And we’re never far away from being reminded that the world needs warmth and harmony.
Heartfelt thank yous to:
Everyone who supported the event by coming to Rich Mix London
Our volunteers
Our host Helen Arney
Our raffle prize donors: The Star of Bethnal Green, The Three Colts, The Backyard Comedy Club, Baked by Steph, Helen Arney
Sunday Assembly London turns 13 next year and we can’t wait to welcome even more people to our secular celebrations of life!
Our Yule Rock 2025 songs
Troika
Merry Christmas Everyone (Shakin’ Stevens)
Step Into Christmas (Elton John)
Driving Home For Christmas (Chris Rea)
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (Darlene Love)
It’s Christmas Time (Status Quo)
Last Christmas (Wham!)
It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (Andy Williams)
What Feliz Navidad Means To Me (Trad./Stevie Wonder)
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (Brenda Lee)
Wombling Merry Christmas (The Wombles)
The Twelve Days Of Christmas
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (Wizzard)
Underneath The Tree (Kelly Clarkson)
Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End) (The Darkness)
Let It Go (Frozen)
Fairytale Of New York (The Pogues/Kirsty MacColl)
Stay Another Day (East 17)
All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey)
Merry Xmas Everybody (Slade)
The rest of this post is our original post promoting Yule Rock, kept for future reference.
We’ve been itching to announce this year’s Yule Rock, our annual large-scale singalong of Christmas pop songs. And only some of that itching is being caused by our festive jumpers and antler headbands.
What is Yule Rock?
As reliable as an over-illuminated convoy of soft drink trucks, but with far more musical variety, Yule Rock is an evening for unashamedly celebrating the combination of communal singing and classic pop that is unbeatable at Christmas time: a combination that brings people together in joy and harmony (harmonies not guaranteed) like no other festive tradition can.
Yule Rock was acclaimed as one of London’s top ten December activities by Visit London in 2022.
Where and when is it happening?
This year, Yule Rock takes place at Rich Mix in Shoreditch on Friday 12th December from 7:30pm.
It has its ideal compère in Helen Arney: comedian, presenter and geek songstress, hosting Yule Rock for the second year running.
Because belting out festive favourites is thirsty work, there will be a bar. There will also be a raffle.
How is Yule Rock different from Sunday Assembly London’s usual events?
Yule Rock builds on a key part of our twice-monthly gatherings at Backyard Comedy Club, where everyone’s invited to sing along to four pop songs in a welcoming non-religious environment. The songs are performed by our in-house band, loosely matched to the topic of each assembly’s guest speaker’s talk, and accompanied by a projected slideshow of the lyrics. This mass karaoke has been a staple of Sunday Assembly London’s appeal since its beginnings in 2013.
Yule Rock goes bigger, bolder and baublier than a standard Sunday Assembly. It boasts more band members, 20 songs and a larger venue, with room for 200.
When I get festive, I get really festive. Can Yule Rock handle that?
Yes! We encourage everyone to dress in their Yuletide best and sing their hearts out.
Yule Rock is for anyone who treats Whamageddon as their winter wonderland, who’d never throw shade on Slade, and who knows when it’s time to swap Noel & Liam for pure Noël. The boys of the NYPD choir will approve, even if the fashion police won’t.
Sum it up for me.
Yule Rock is a fine tradition, a firm prediction (if you like puns) and, for the family and friendship groups that come back year after year, a fun addiction.
Our volunteer-led team work hard to make it an unforgettable evening. We can’t wait to add some vocal sparkle to your festive season.
If I wait a bit longer to decide, will there still be tickets?
We can’t guarantee it. Based on Yule Rock 2024 sales, we’re expecting 2025 to be a sell-out. This year, to save you from tears (except the ‘of joy’ kind), we really do recommend booking your tickets now! [Thanks to everyone who did!]
Our Summer Sync-Up deserved a sequel! We planned an array of fun activities to go alongside our autumn assemblies, including…
Halloween Bake Off – Sunday 19th October
‘Today’s assembly comes with extra cake! Whether you’re making, tasting or both, help us turn Backyard into Bake-yard. With Halloween as our theme, it could be a case of “traybake or treat?” (That’s all the wordplay we’ve got for now, though we may have a pun in the oven.)’
Thanks to everyone who took the time to bake delicious treats for our bake off, with flavours ranging from pumpkin to banoffee. They were both eerie and cherry. Some of the treats went so fast it was almost like they were never there…
Sunday Assembly London one-day choir – Wednesday 22nd October, Sunday 2nd November
Reviving a little bit of Sunday Assembly heritage. Following a rehearsal in October, our pop-up choir (or do we mean pipe-up choir?) performed an uplifting song for our fellow Sunday Assemblers during our first November assembly (or “Novembly” as no one was calling it) on the 2nd, Keep Calm And Carry On.
This was a perfect opportunity for Sunday Assembly Londoners who want to try being in a choir but can’t commit to regular weekly rehearsals and frequent events or shows.
The chosen song was Focus Is Power by Self Esteem.
Thank you to the choir for reinforcing the power of literally singing from the same songsheet.
For even more singing joy… join us at Yule Rock ’25!
Sing Christmas pop loud and proud, with a live band and a room big enough for 200 very festive people.
It’s happening on Friday 12 December at Rich Mix in Shoreditch.
Based on Yule Rock 2024 sales, we’re expecting 2025 to be a sell-out. Find out more about the Yule Rock magic and get your tickets at https://bit.ly/yulerock25
Did you know that some animals hibernate in summer?* That wouldn’t suit us at Sunday Assembly London. While our assemblies were taking a break in August, we had an array of Sunday events to keep us connected.
Sunday 3rd August: picnic; ice cream crawl
At 12pm, we got together in Lincoln’s Inn Fields (near Holborn Tube station) for a bring-your-own picnic lunch.
Then we walked a route around London to sample a series of ice cream treats. We had a delightful ice cream crawl in September 2024 and couldn’t wait to do it again.
We met at 3pm opposite Kentish Town Station (Tube – Northern line; the National Rail Thameslink station is next door) at 3pm. Anyone who wanted to skip straight to dessert was welcome to come along without being at the picnic first!
Sunday 10th August: Lido swimming
A refreshing swim at the Serpentine Lido.
Sunday 17th August: picnic; art walk
At 12pm, we were back at Lincoln’s Inn Fields for another bring-your-own picnic lunch.
We enjoyed the “world turned upside down” near LSE and the Wellcome Collection’s current inclusive exhibitions are fantastic.
Saturday 30th August: walking adventure in Box Hill, Surrey
Emily ran a very special event for those of us wanting to adventure a little bit further afield than Central London.
Meeting at Box Hill & Westhumble station at 12:15pm, we embarked on a 5 mile walk.
Moderate difficulty – see National Trust classification
Dogs and Children welcome – we go at a leisurely pace
As we said beforehand: ‘We’d love as many people as possible to join us for some or all of these activities, even if you’ve never been to a Sunday Assembly before. We know it’s not always easy to make and keep connections in London, so we’re waiting to welcome you!’
If you want to find out more about our not-just-assemblies events, email Tanya at community@sundayassembly.com. Or, as with our assemblies, just turn up!
*Aestivation? We don’t know the meaning of the word…
We are living in times that call for us to hang on to reason. With rising unemployment at one end and people facing extreme work pressures at the other; in the middle there is a strong need for the understanding of the meaning of life. Age of Reason plan to explore the words of great thinkers and ordinary philosophers alike.
Camden Head, Camden Passage, Angel (nearest tube Angel) 2 Camden Walk, London Borough of Islington, N1 8D 15 May 7:00–7-9.00
7:00 Welcome and introduction 7:15 Sunday Assembly context – Sanderson 7:30 Guest Speaker: 8:00 Group discussion 9:00 Close Admission Free
7:00 pm, September 18 2013
Camden Head
A message from Philosophy Club:
Hope everyone enjoyed the summer break. In the first session for the Autumn series we may well explore what led us to a global financial crises or individual greed and collective poverty. This month’s guest speaker Andy Denis will discuss his philosophy on ‘individual behaviour and collective outcomes’.
When: Wednesday the 18th September @ 7pm.
Where: Camden Head – in Angel (2 Camden Walk, N18DY)
Andy Denis Biog:
Dr Denis worked for the Economist Intelligence Unit in the 1980s and joined City University Business School in 1990 as a researcher in financial development, moving to the Economics Department in 1991.He gained his PhD in 2002 with a thesis on “Collective and Individual Rationality”. His research interests are in the history and philosophy of economics, and he has published on Adam Smith, Keynes, Hayek, Malthus, the methodology of the Austrian School of Economics and the concept of equilibrium in neoclassical economics.In 2009 he guest edited a special issue of the International Review of Economics Education on pluralism in the teaching of economics.Dr Denis has recently been elected a member of the ESHET (European Society of the History of Economic Thought) Council.
This month’s session was coordinated by Albert Van Hoek and the philosophy club team of organisers.
Best,
Dionne
7:00 pm, October 16 2013
The Blacksmith and the Toffeemaker, Islington
Hello! How are you feeling? Or more to the point, why are you feeling? Where do your emotions come from? And what on earth are they for?!
We’ll be getting to grips with these sorts of questions at this month’s Age of Reason philosophy club, and we’d love it if you came too! The rather excellently-named Richard Firth-Godbehere is our speaker and will be with us as we explore the idea of emotions from a philosophical standpoint, through history to the present day.
Please note WE HAVE MOVED! Join us for a pint of ale and a pork pie (food for thought) at The Blacksmith and the Toffeemaker in Islington. However you’re feeling, stick this date in your diary!
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